Jhonatan Hurtado Espinal of Clayton tried his luck on a $10 scratch-off and won the first $1 million top prize in a new game.
Espinal bought his lucky $1,000,000 Bonus Match ticket from Compare Foods on East Second Street in Clayton.
When Espinal arrived at lottery headquarters on Friday, he had a decision to make. He could choose to receive his prize as an annuity of $50,000 over 20 years or a lump sum of $600,000. He chose the lump sum of $600,000 and, after required state and federal tax withholdings, took home $430,503.
The $1,000,000 Bonus Match game debuted in August with five $1 million top prizes. Four $1 million prizes remain to be claimed.
The N.C. Education Lottery’s Play Smart™ program helps North Carolinians make the most of their lottery play. Visit ncplaysmart.com to learn about all things lottery, from tips on how odds work to how to enter bonus drawings.